Job summary
Bristol Eye Hospital is inviting applications from enthusiastic and motivated optometrists to join the Optometry team in the Corneal Service.
About the role:
Based in the Corneal Service delivering care to people with external eye diseases, you will be involved in more complex corneal case mix including ectasia, infectious disease, ocular oncology, post-operative care. Working closely with the Corneal Service's forward thinking multidisciplinary team you will liaise with other services within the Bristol and Weston Hospital Eye Service.
About you:
You are an optometrist with a commitment to professional and personal development and an enthusiasm for complex clinical work as well as service innovation. As well as being an Independent Prescriber with experience of prescribing, you have a high level of clinical experience in cornea/external eye which will enable you to manage a complex caseload in the corneal service. Your highly developed specialist prescribing experience might be evidenced by Higher Qualifications in Contact Lenses, and Higher Qualifications in Glaucoma or Medical Retina will also be advantageous.
Keen to be fully engaged with the department, and to contribute to team development as well as clinical service delivery, you will be able to provide high quality supervision and teaching as well as actively input into audit and clinical governance.
Main duties of the job
The Optometry Department at Bristol Eye Hospital is well established and integrated into the multidisciplinary environment of Bristol Eye Hospital, providing clinical management of eye health to people in Bristol, Weston and across the South West of England.
A glimpse of life at BEH: https://youtu.be/he7-XrxIopo
About the Corneal Service:
The Corneal Service at Bristol Eye Hospital is a highly specialised service providing secondary and tertiary levels of service to the Bristol area, the South West and further afield.
The service is led by Mr Kieren Darcy with Mr Derek Tole and Mr Omar El Haddad. The consultants lead a team of Fellows, specialist trainees, optometrists, immunosuppression support nurses, ophthalmic nurses, and an ophthalmic imaging team.
The service is supported by a well-equipped corneal unit, and those working in the service have routine access to corneal tomography including MS39 anterior segment OCT and Pentacam, ultrasound biomicroscopy, specular microscopy, and high quality ophthalmic imaging.
About us
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England. UHBW has been rated by the CQC as 'Good' overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond.
As a forward-thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact. Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone's throw of the countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them. Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we're meeting our pledge.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and Person Specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Job description
Job responsibilities
For a more detailed job description, main responsibilities, and Person Specification, please refer to the job description document attached to this vacancy.
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Highly developed and proven specialist knowledge, at Masters level or above, across multiple areas of specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
- Multidisciplinary team working
- Previous hospital eye service experience
- Significant specialist clinical experience in assessment & management of patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple of areas of-specialist clinical practice
- Significant specialist clinical experience in management of patients with ocular/visual manifestations of systemic disease that may threaten general health
- Advanced understanding of all relevant national clinical guidance (e.g. NICE guidelines; College of Optometrists Clinical Management Guidelines; Royal College of Ophthalmologists guidelines
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
- Specialist clinical assessment skills for patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple of areas of sub-specialist clinical practice
- Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests) as used by specialist medical staff
- Can teach or; supervise trainees; & address queries from support staff whilst performing clinical duties
- Must be able to travel to and perform peripheral clinics as required (i.e. locations away from Bristol Eye Hospital)
- Ability to quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
- Normal binocular vision
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Registration with the General Optical Council
- BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent
- Professional post-graduate specialist qualification(s) at masters level or higher, relevant to job plan (eg College of Optometrists DipGlauc, Higher Prof Cert Med Ret)
- GOC Speciality Registration in Independent Prescribing
- Postgraduate masters (or higher) level clinical audit or research experience relevant to sub-specialist practice
Aptitudes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
- Ability to empathise regarding loss of sight and prognoses including blindness and threats to general health from systemic disease with ocular/visual manifestations
- Able to work within a multidisciplinary team & gain credibility with all staff
- Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
Person Specification
Knowledge and Experience
Essential
- Highly developed and proven specialist knowledge, at Masters level or above, across multiple areas of specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
- Multidisciplinary team working
- Previous hospital eye service experience
- Significant specialist clinical experience in assessment & management of patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple of areas of-specialist clinical practice
- Significant specialist clinical experience in management of patients with ocular/visual manifestations of systemic disease that may threaten general health
- Advanced understanding of all relevant national clinical guidance (e.g. NICE guidelines; College of Optometrists Clinical Management Guidelines; Royal College of Ophthalmologists guidelines
Skills and Abilities
Essential
- Specialist clinical practice beyond conventional hospital or community optometry
- Specialist clinical assessment skills for patients with active and sight-threatening disease across multiple of areas of sub-specialist clinical practice
- Specialist ancillary test interpretation skills (e.g. visual function and ocular imaging tests) as used by specialist medical staff
- Can teach or; supervise trainees; & address queries from support staff whilst performing clinical duties
- Must be able to travel to and perform peripheral clinics as required (i.e. locations away from Bristol Eye Hospital)
- Ability to quickly interpret complex and potentially conflicting clinical information
- Normal binocular vision
Qualifications and Training
Essential
- Registration with the General Optical Council
- BSc Hons Optometry or equivalent
- Professional post-graduate specialist qualification(s) at masters level or higher, relevant to job plan (eg College of Optometrists DipGlauc, Higher Prof Cert Med Ret)
- GOC Speciality Registration in Independent Prescribing
- Postgraduate masters (or higher) level clinical audit or research experience relevant to sub-specialist practice
Aptitudes
Essential
- Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills; ability to communicate complex, sensitive and potentially conflicting information to patients and other stakeholders in an appropriate manner independent of their level of understanding
- Ability to empathise regarding loss of sight and prognoses including blindness and threats to general health from systemic disease with ocular/visual manifestations
- Able to work within a multidisciplinary team & gain credibility with all staff
- Capable of performing sustained high intensity work in a pressurised clinical environment
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Additional information
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see
NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
Employer details
Employer name
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW)
Address
Bristol Eye Hospital
Lower Maudlin Street
Bristol
BS1 2LX
Employer's website
https://www.uhbw.nhs.uk/ (Opens in a new tab)
